Tuesday, February 17, 2009

I do a lot of teaching about coffee and the difficulties faced by coffee-growing communities. I try to help by raising awareness and by buying coffee from companies that treat the farmers and their families and the land well. I think this is all good, but a few cents a cup is not enough.

What if I want to make a bigger difference -- do I just have to buy a lot of Fair Trade coffee? That is an attractive option, but to help more directly, I support Coffee Kids with whatever donation I can send. I do this because I have heard directly from communities that Coffee Kids makes a difference.

The organization -- supported by many industry members -- educates coffee consumers and it supports the education of kids growing up in coffee-farming communities. A good education is the only way, really, to ensure a better future for children who grow up in coffee, subject to the whims of ever-shifting markets.

When I give public lectures about coffee, I aske the organizers to send donations to Coffee Kids, in lieu of speaker fees. If you are involved in coffee, I hope you will find a way to support them, too!